Asking for help is never easy. And knowing how to ask for help in Egyptian Arabic is even harder!
But there are quite a few different problems that you might run into if you are a foreigner in Cairo.
And, well…sometimes you just DO need help.
And that’s what today is for.
Today, Cleo Lingo will be explaining….how to ask for help in Egyptian Arabic.
Vocabulary To Ask For Help in Egyptian Arabic
We will start with some common words you should know to ask for help in Egyptian Arabic.
Below you will find some longer example phrases.
Help (noun). : Mosa3da.
.مساعدة
Help (verb). : Yesa3ed.
.يساعد
Question. : So2al.
.سؤال
Favor. : Khedma.
.خدمة
Example Sentences to Ask For Help in Egyptian Arabic
Let’s move on to some of the most essential phrases.
These are super important when asking for help in Egyptian Arabic. They’re more general.
After that, we will give you a few situations where you might commonly ask for help in Egyptian Arabic.
I need help. : Ana ma7taeg Mosa3da.
. انا محتاج مساعد
Can you help me, sir / ma’am? : momken tsa3edni law sama7t ya ostaz?
ممكن تساعدني لو سمحت يا استاذ/ة؟
Can you help me, dude? : momken tsa3edni yasta/ya basha?
ممكن تساعدني ياسطى/ يا باشا؟
You are very helpful. : Enta khadoom awy.
.انت خدوم قوي
I have a question. : Ana 3andi so2al.
.انا عندي سؤال
Can you help me? (asked to a female) : momken tsa3edeeni?
ممكن تساعديني؟
This is how you spell and pronounce it when asking a female for help.
While the below examples use the masculine form, simply use the feminine form above and you are good to go.
Asking For Help On The Street
Check out our post on how to ask for directions in Egyptian Arabic. Lots of the same vocabulary.
Can you please tell me where the metro / supermarket / koshk is? : momken t2oli feen el metro/ el supermarket/ el koshk?
ممكن تقولي فين المترو/السوبرماركت/ الكشك؟
Do you know this area well? : Te3raf elmant2a de kwaiss?
تعرف المنطقة دي كويس؟
I am lost. : ana tayeh.
.انا تايه
Asking For Help At the Airport
Our post on how to navigate the airport in Egyptian Arabic would be quite useful here.
Can you help me find my flight? : momken tsa3edni ala2i tayarty?
ممكن تساعدني الاقي طيارتي؟
Can you please help me find security? : momken tsa3edni ala2i el amn?
ممكن تساعدني الاقي الامن؟
Do you work here? I need some help. : 7adrtak btshtaghal hena? ana 3ayz mosa3da.
.حضرتك بتشتغل هنا؟ انا عايز مساعدة
Asking For Help With Arabic
Do you speak English / Spanish / Russian / French / German? : btetklm englizy/aspany/rosy/farnasawy/almani?
بتتكلم انجليزي/اسباني/روسي/فرنساوي/الماني؟
Do you know what this word means? : te3raf el kelma de ma3naha eh?
تعرف الكلمة دي معناها ايه؟
Can you please speak slower? : momken tetklm abta2 law sama7t?
ممكن تتكلم ابطأ لو سمحت؟
We know how annoying it is when people switch to English.
That’s why we wrote about how to get people to speak Egyptian Arabic to you.
Random Questions To Ask For Help in Egyptian Arabic
Time for some random questions.
These are some more situations where you might have to ask for help in Egyptian Arabic.
Can you help me with the police? : momken tsa3edni ma3 el bolice?
ممكن تساعدني مع البوليس؟
Can you help me with the doorman? : momken tsa3edni ma3 el bawab?
ممكن تساعدني مع البواب؟
The Egyptian Baweb is something you should probably know more about. 😉
Can you help me order something? (restaurant or cafe) : momken tsa3edni atlob?
ممكن تساعدني اطلب؟
Can you help me pay? : momken tsa3edni adfa3?
ممكن تساعدني ادفع؟
Can you help me find the supermarket? : momken tsa3deni ala2i supermarket?
ممكن تساعدني الاقي سوبرماركت؟
Read how to buy groceries in Egyptian Arabic for more info.
Can you help me hire a cleaning lady? : momken tsa3deni ala2i bent tnadaf el beet?
ممكن تساعدني الاقي بنت تنضف البيت؟
Can you help me with the garbage? : momken tsa3deni asheel el zebala?
ممكن تساعدني اشيل الزبالة؟
Can you help me get a taxi? : momken tsa3deni awa2f Taxi?
ممكن تساعدني اوقف تاكسي؟
Lastly, check out our post on how to get a taxi in Egyptian Arabic.
Cultural Corner
Egyptians will most likely help you if you ask for help.
They are known for being super helpful, and aren’t afraid to show it.
The problem comes when they help you WITHOUT you asking for it!
This can get a bit weird, and you shouldn’t be afraid to tell them to leave you alone. Many foreigners have been suckered into a “helper,” only to end up with them asking you to buy some perfume or papyrus paintings.
Just say no!
Good luck asking for help. 🙂
…
Happy learning,
Cleo Lingo
